Jim Cornette Reviews Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre (3 Stages Of Hell / Title Change) on Smackdown

What this episode is about

Jim Cornette provides a detailed review of the main event match between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre at Smackdown, highlighting an engaging start where Cody dominates, only for Drew to secure a victory through a mix of heel tactics and opportunistic cheating. Cornette expresses his disappointment over the match's predictable outcome and the impact of leaked results on the viewing experience, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the element of surprise in wrestling.

Key takeaways

• Cody the noble never disqualified; Drew excels at villainy—even when it's unsportsmanlike.
• Today’s wrestling is all about flash: a table splash sells, but the ring showcases skill!
• Spoilers spoil: knowing the outcome before watching kills the thrill—stay offline, save your hype!
• Cage matches suffer redundancy; when every move is a replay, it’s time for fresh creative energy.
• Fans long for a story, not just spots: wrestling’s heart beats through compelling narrative, not just chaos.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Jim Cornette (Host) · 12 min speaking
• Drew McIntyre (Guest)
• Cody Rhodes (Guest)
• Jacob Fatu (Guest)

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Drew McIntyre, Berlin, Surf Shark, Bergen
2. 6:00 – 9:00: Drew McIntyre
3. 9:00 – 12:00: Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodess
4. 12:00 – 13:58: Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodess, Chris Cody, Elimination Chamber

Notable quotes from "Jim Cornette Reviews Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre (3 Stages Of Hell / Title Change) on Smackdown"

• Turnbuckle pad off. And as the referee grabbed it, was going to try to replace it, Drew kicked Cody in the balls and hit him with a claymore. Boom.

  about Drew McIntyre · at 0:51

• See, you ought to be more like me and not give a [ __ ] about anything. And I didn't I didn't even know they were in Berlin and didn't know the show happened before it happened…

  about Berlin · at 2:47

• It wasn't silly in terms of like one of the AEW type of walk fights around the arena, but it was a walk fight around the arena into the stands, the standard [ __ ] They.

  about AEW · at 3:37

• And now we'll see where they go. I'm not excited about the prospect of a three-way feud with Cody and McIntyre and Fatu. I'm not excited about another Royal Rumble that Cody would have to win to get a title.

  about Cody Rhodess · at 12:31

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Drew McIntyre — Person · Core topic (match participant / new champion) · 8 mentions · first at 0:03
  Central figure in the main event breakdown; discussed for in-ring work, cheating finish, and ultimately winning the championship after Jacob Fatu's interference.
• Chris Cody — Person · Core topic (match participant / former champion) · 1 mention · first at 13:28
  Key opponent in the main event; praised for starting hot and criticized as part of an overdone arena-brawl structure, then loses the belt due to interference.
  Well, the regular match was first and it started hot. Cody's on fire and Drew tried to get Cody to get disqualified at one point, but Cody wouldn't fall for it. But he was still kicking Drew's ass and all over him. And Drew McIntyre for.
• Cody Rhodess — Person · Core topic (same person referenced by full name) · 3 mentions · first at 10:56
  Referenced repeatedly as the champion whose reign ends; also used in the discussion about whether Fatu turned heel by attacking him.
• Billy Graham — Person · Referenced historical comparison · 1 mention · first at 12:26
  Used as an analogy for winning a belt via cheating ('feet on the ropes'), reinforcing the 'by hook or by crook' framing of Drew's win.
  He got it. Billy Graham had his feet on the ropes. he got the belt.

Companies & orgs

• AEW — Company · Referenced comparator organization · 1 mention
  Used as a negative comparison point for arena-wide brawling style, though the speaker notes this match was not as 'silly' as that stereotype.
• Surf Shark — Company · Referenced product/service (viewing workaround) · 1 mention · first at 2:37
  Mentioned as a way to watch earlier (in Canada), in the context of spoilers leaking before US airing.
  It, stay off the internet for a few hours until it airs in the States, unless of course you have Surf Shark and you're in Canada.

Places & events

• Elimination Chamber — Event · Referenced upcoming event · 1 mention · first at 12:48
  Mentioned as the next major checkpoint affecting title direction and WrestleMania plans after Drew's win.
  Excited about another Royal Rumble that Cody would have to win to get a title shot. But again, you have Elimination Chamber 2 right around the corner.
• Wrestlemania — Event · Referenced tentpole event · 1 mention · first at 12:54
  Serves as the long-term destination for the championship storyline: whether Drew remains champion by WrestleMania is posed as an open question.
  We'll see. Will Drew McIntyre be the champion at Wrestlemania? Will be the champion when they leave Europe. We'll see what they do there. But, uninspired finish, I guess. Maybe it.
• Berlin — Place · Referenced location (event setting) · 1 mention · first at 2:50
  Identified as the city where the show took place, tied to discussion of European airing/spoilers and crowd context.
• Bergen — Place · Referenced location (joke/aside) · 1 mention · first at 2:09
  Appears in a comedic aside unrelated to match analysis, indicating conversational banter.
  I don't know. This whole thing rubbed me the wrong way. Well, THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID LAST MASSAGE parlor in Bergen.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 Finally, two hours and 22 minutes into the show, we the main event. Here comes Drew and here comes Cody. And they have the introductions and they ring the bell. It's 10:30 and the last hour is commercial free. See? Okay, they're going to they're going to go a while. Well, the regular match was first and it started hot. Cody's on fire and Drew tried to get Cody to get disqualified at one point, but Cody wouldn't fall for it. But he was still kicking Drew's ass and all over him. And Drew McIntyre for a guy that size, he knows how to sell as a heel.

0:43 And Cody Germaned him. Boom. And he went to German him again later on. And Drew was holding on and he pulled the turnbuckle pad off. And as the referee grabbed it, was going to try to replace it, Drew kicked Cody in the balls and hit him with a claymore. Boom. One, two, three in four minutes. Okay, that was my favorite part of this whole goddamn match was when they were actually in the ring having a match without cages or no disqualifications or whatever the [ __ ] I I could have taken some more of that. But basically that would drew [ __ ] a baby face in a straight match. You know, it's the old Jerry Jarrett principle.

1:35 When everybody's dream match backfired, they would have thought that the baby face would win the straight wrestling match so Drew cheats and wins. That's fine. But now they got the false count anywhere. But before I we talk about that, what did you think about the little mini movie trailer of a match that they did here? I I I it was all right. I guess I don't know. This whole thing rubbed me the wrong way.

2:09 Well, THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID LAST MASSAGE parlor in Bergen. You know what the problem is? Honestly, the results got out before it aired. So, I didn't go into this fresh. The results came out a few hours before this aired. So, I knew where it was going because it was unavoidable. And I know the European fans love their wrestling, but god damn it, stay off the internet for a few hours

2:34 until it airs in the States, unless of course you have uh Surf Shark and you're in Canada.

2:41 But that's the problem. I knew where it was going, so it was hard for me to it was hard for me to enjoy it.

2:47 See, you ought to be more like me and not give a [ __ ] about anything. And I didn't I didn't even know they were in Berlin and didn't know the show happened before it happened and didn't even watch the goddamn thing until the following morning which was just a few hours ago. But that's the thing. It was just it was okay. I'd like to see some more of this and it was over. But then became the false count anywhere. And immediately they Drew pulls out a table and powerbombs Cody through the table on the floor and gets a twocount.

3:18 I'm like, Christ, here we go. And they fought in the entrance way and all around ringside and over the rail into the people. And once again, it took a long time. It's not like it was as exciting as this. They tried. They were working hard. It wasn't silly in terms of like one of the AEW type of walk fights around the arena, but it was it was a walk fight around the arena into the stands, the standard [ __ ] They go into the back of the arena and fight there. They, you know, rattle each other off the garage doors. Then they go back into the arena where they're wasting some time. And Cody ran drew into the bleachers and put him on a table and climbed up went up to the top of the breezeway archway there and jumped off the bleachers and splashed him through the table and got a twocount.

4:18 And then they went back to ringside and Drew hit him with a chair a couple times and Cody cleared the desk off and crossroads is him. crossroads him through the desk. One, two, three, and that was an 8-minute match and they never used the ring. And now I'm like I'm like you were earlier. I it kind of now they've lost my interest. It's all this by the number. Well, here's the spot where we go and fight on the steps. And here's where we go back in the back and rattle each other off the garage door. And here's where we get [ __ ] same [ __ ] that every jabron does in every goddamn indie match.

5:01 Yeah, that's the problem, too. Even the stuff that a few years back would have been the spectacular thing. We've seen that a bunch of times. Cody climbing up and jumping off, we've seen that exact spot from other people in both companies before. Well, yeah, but besides that, it that's what it is. It's a spot. It's 5 seconds. He jumped off the balcony and splashed him through the [ __ ] table, and it wasn't even the finish, but it's 5 seconds. It took him eight minutes of wandered around the goddamn arena to see that. I don't care. I was enjoying them exhibiting their talents in the [ __ ] standard wrestling ring that we don't see often enough.

5:41 But at least then as I was saying that flowed into the next thing because now Drew is down so Cody can drag him back into the ring and roll him in and the cage can lower so that the heel is stuck and they're one and one and but now they've started the cage match is we got 15 minutes on the air. They start the cage match in the middle where they're trying to start climbing or getting out or whatever and they're back and forth and at least the people now because they know well this one's the one. So Drew started to get some heat and get some two counts and then Cody hit a crossroads and got a big pop for a two count and you know hit a cutter and a couple of crossroads and Drew gouged the eyes and then Cody dove at Drew but hit the unpadded buckle and Drew hit the claymore and got a twocount.

6:44 I'm like son of a [ __ ] That was a world title change finish. The babyface champion has hit his finish twice and is going for the third, but the heel gouges his eyes. And when the blind babyface charges the heel, he moves and the baby face hits the buckle that the heel had taken the pad off of earlier and then the heel hits his finish. That's the world title. that if they wanted to if they wanted Drew McIntyre to be a goddamn star, that's what they would have done. Do you see what I'm Do? He hear me what I'm telling you.

7:25 Yeah. And again, this is another one of those things that we see all the time now. How many matches even matches you don't like? How many matches have the perfect finish? The perfect finish

7:36 and then they just keep going another 10 minutes. Yes. Yes. So instead, that's a twoount. They both sell. They fight on top of the cage. Uh Cody kind of does a cutter off the cage. Two count, but it didn't land lovely. And they both crotch themselves on the top rope trying to climb out of the cage. And then Drew is crawling for the door and there's a hooded figure and it it's Jacob Fatu and they stare at each other and then Drew runs from him like he's seen a ghost and tries to climb out and Jacob gets in the ring again right in front of the referee which of course it's no disqualification but you didn't used to have to worry about somebody interfering in front of the referee at a cage match because you can't interfere IN A CAGE MATCH CUZ THE DOOR SHOULDN'T be open.

8:42 this bogus ass WWF escape the cage [ __ ] But normally you would be locked in the in the [ __ ] cage and if the guy did interfere, if the referee got knocked down, maybe somebody climbs in, whatever the [ __ ] But now he's just in the ring beating up one of the people in the match in front of the referee. And then when Cody see, wait a minute, what the [ __ ] He spins Fatu around and Jacob lays into Cody and beats him up. And while he's doing that, Drew crawls out the door and is the new champion. And ding, ding, ding.

9:27 And then [clears throat] Drew's in the entrance way with the belt, you know, laying there selling and, you know, happy or whatever. And Jacob is staring at him and Cody comes from behind and just gives Fatu like a weak shove into the cage and Fatu sells it. Goes down like he's knocked out and then Cody just has to stare there. So why why would you build this guy up as being the monster that just caused the title to change hands and then Cody knocks him out with a two-handed shove from behind? I don't I don't know what the [ __ ] Uh I know obviously Jacob is a baby face and that's going to be Drew's probably first program here and Cody ain't going to be happy about all of this. But Jesus Christ on a cracker. I think it'd been if they wanted to put the belt on Drew, they did the perfect finish for it here that the heat would go all on Drew.

10:34 But they didn't capitalize on that. And now I'm not sure how does Drew have any heat out of this. He crawled out with by the skin of his teeth while one of the baby faces was beating up one of the other baby faces.

10:52 You're assuming that Jacob Fatu is still a baby face. Well, why the [ __ ] wouldn't he be?

10:56 He beat up Cody Rhodess. He cost Cody Rhodess the belt. But here's when last we saw him, was he not a baby face that everybody was cheering for because he's the wild [ __ ] smelling werewolf that gets over when he comes back and the thing is Cody spun him around like what are you doing? And he [ __ ] starts fighting Cody. But then he when he turns around and sees that Drew's gone, that's his focus. But then if they're gonna turn the guy heel, then would Cody have just shoved Jacob and Jacob take a bump and lay out or would Cody have spun him around again and this time Jacob gets some goddamn heat on the vulnerable babyfaced champion that's just been [ __ ] So regardless of what they're doing, was this a shitty finish?

11:55 I wasn't crazy about it. I mean, I guess in terms of the Drew McIntyre storyline of always getting cheated and ripped off by everyone, the company and Roman Reigns and CM Punk and Cody Rhodess, he finally got one. You just said that when we reviewed the fact that he won most underrated and most pitiful in the South Korean Wrestling Awards. You said he's got to win one.

12:17 I don't mind being I don't mind being underrated, but when people think I'm pitiful,

12:21 you said he's got to win one. He's got to win one. And now he's got it by hooker, by crook. He got it. Billy Graham had his feet on the ropes. You know, he got the belt.

12:31 And now we'll see where they go. I mean, I'm not excited about the prospect of a three-way feud

12:40 with Cody and McIntyre and Fatu. I'm not excited about another Royal Rumble that Cody would have to win to get a title shot. But again, you have Elimination Chamber 2 right around the corner. We'll see. Will Drew McIntyre be the champion at Wrestlemania? Will be the champion when they leave Europe. We'll see what they do there. But, uh, uninspired finish, I guess. Maybe it felt uninspired. That might be more than shitty. Ju way a better way to describe it. Unins uninspired. Just all the stuff that always happens.

13:18 Well, there it is. new champion now. CM Punk world champion in one on one show and Drew McIntyre the champion on the other. We'll see what happens there. And Cody Rhodess, his title reign is over. And we'll see what happens there. And Jacob Fatu is back and he's got Austin Theory's hood. We'll see what happens there. We'll see what happens on Smackdown over there. We're going to see all the things that happen. And that's you know that what's that phrase I just came up with? All the things that always happen. That's what this show is about. We talk about all the things that always happen.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Jim Cornette Reviews Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre (3 Stages Of Hell / Title Change) on Smackdown"?

Jim Cornette (Host), Drew McIntyre (Guest), Cody Rhodes (Guest), Jacob Fatu (Guest).

What is "Jim Cornette Reviews Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre (3 Stages Of Hell / Title Change) on Smackdown" about?

Jim Cornette provides a detailed review of the main event match between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre at Smackdown, highlighting an engaging start where Cody dominates, only for Drew to secure a victory through a mix of heel tactics and opportunistic cheating. Cornette expresses his disappointment over the match's predictable outcome and the impact of leaked results on the viewing experience,…

What is mentioned in this Official Jim Cornette episode?

10 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Drew McIntyre, Chris Cody, Cody Rhodess, Elimination Chamber, Wrestlemania, Berlin. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Jim Cornette Reviews Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre (3 Stages Of Hell / Title Change) on Smackdown"?

The episode runs 14 min; the transcript is about 2,242 words in 25 timestamped sections.

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